Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? When should I stop aerating?

bz - Here is my opinion about your situation. I don't think BOD will be excessive unless snow cover causes extensive plant death. People under estimate the the ability of plants to produce adequate oxygen providing they are receiving adequate sunlight. Snow removel is used by numerous lake management groups to maintain healthy DO conditions in waters too big to aerate. I think your existing winter aeration method works primarily because it keeps enough of an water surface exposed to sunlight that the winter plant commumity produces enough DO to keep fish alive. Aeration does help circulate the oxygenated water to extended areas of the pond. If your system works then stay with it. If it breaks down use snow removal as a backup procedure.

HINT: If you have a heavy fish load in the pond, consider that the biomass may be too high during winter conditions and crowding stress may take a toll of your prize fish when conditions are "right". YOu may want to use the autumn or first ice to remove some fish for table use to reduce chance of fish over-load problems. Thinning the numbers should also allow more forage items to be present during stressful winter conditions.